diff --git a/lib/configParser.ts b/lib/configParser.ts
index b818be0e5..0b9d5b4f3 100644
--- a/lib/configParser.ts
+++ b/lib/configParser.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-import {resolve, dirname} from 'path';
-import {sync} from 'glob';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import * as glob from 'glob';
+
 import * as Logger from './logger';
+import {ConfigError} from './exitCodes';
 
 // Coffee is required here to enable config files written in coffee-script.
 try {
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ export interface Config {
   maxSessions?: number;
 }
 
-export default class ConfigParser {
+export class ConfigParser {
   private config_: Config;
   constructor() {
     // Default configuration.
@@ -82,12 +84,12 @@ export default class ConfigParser {
 
     if (patterns) {
       for (let fileName of patterns) {
-        let matches = sync(fileName, {cwd});
+        let matches = glob.sync(fileName, {cwd});
         if (!matches.length && !opt_omitWarnings) {
           Logger.warn('pattern ' + fileName + ' did not match any files.');
         }
         for (let match of matches) {
-          let resolvedPath = resolve(cwd, match);
+          let resolvedPath = path.resolve(cwd, match);
           resolvedFiles.push(resolvedPath);
         }
       }
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ export default class ConfigParser {
           if (additionalConfig[name] &&
               typeof additionalConfig[name] === 'string') {
             additionalConfig[name] =
-                resolve(relativeTo, additionalConfig[name]);
+                path.resolve(relativeTo, additionalConfig[name]);
           }
         });
 
@@ -153,23 +155,22 @@ export default class ConfigParser {
    * @param {String} filename
    */
   public addFileConfig(filename: string): ConfigParser {
+    if (!filename) {
+      return this;
+    }
+    let filePath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), filename);
+    let fileConfig: any;
     try {
-      if (!filename) {
-        return this;
-      }
-      let filePath = resolve(process.cwd(), filename);
-      let fileConfig = require(filePath).config;
-      if (!fileConfig) {
-        Logger.error(
-            'configuration file ' + filename + ' did not export a config ' +
-            'object');
-      }
-      fileConfig.configDir = dirname(filePath);
-      this.addConfig_(fileConfig, fileConfig.configDir);
+      fileConfig = require(filePath).config;
     } catch (e) {
-      Logger.error('failed loading configuration file ' + filename);
-      throw e;
+      throw new ConfigError('failed loading configuration file ' + filename)
+    }
+    if (!fileConfig) {
+      throw new ConfigError(
+          'configuration file ' + filename + ' did not export a config object');
     }
+    fileConfig.configDir = path.dirname(filePath);
+    this.addConfig_(fileConfig, fileConfig.configDir);
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -208,7 +209,6 @@ let merge_ = function(into: any, from: any): any {
         !(into[key] instanceof Function)) {
       merge_(into[key], from[key]);
     } else {
-      // console.log(from[key].toString());
       into[key] = from[key];
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/exitCodes.ts b/lib/exitCodes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..433c9ef17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/exitCodes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import * as Logger from './logger';
+
+export class ProtractorError extends Error {
+  msg: string;
+  code: number;
+  constructor(msg: string, code: number) {
+    super(msg);
+    this.msg = msg;
+    this.code = code;
+    Logger.error('error code: ' + this.code + ' - ' + this.msg);
+  }
+}
+
+const CONFIG_ERROR_CODE = 105;
+
+/**
+ * Configuration file error
+ */
+export class ConfigError extends ProtractorError {
+  constructor(msg: string) { super(msg, CONFIG_ERROR_CODE); }
+}
diff --git a/lib/launcher.js b/lib/launcher.js
index 33ee0998b..5832361b7 100644
--- a/lib/launcher.js
+++ b/lib/launcher.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  */
 'use strict';
 
-var ConfigParser = require('./configParser').default,
+var ConfigParser = require('./configParser').ConfigParser,
     TaskScheduler = require('./taskScheduler').default,
     helper = require('./util'),
     log = require('./logger'),
diff --git a/lib/runnerCli.js b/lib/runnerCli.js
index 708f74c60..fd300d68f 100644
--- a/lib/runnerCli.js
+++ b/lib/runnerCli.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * requested by the launcher.
  */
 
-var ConfigParser = require('./configParser').default;
+var ConfigParser = require('./configParser').ConfigParser;
 var Runner = require('./runner');
 var log = require('./logger');
 
diff --git a/lib/taskRunner.ts b/lib/taskRunner.ts
index cea472fec..1db925c7d 100644
--- a/lib/taskRunner.ts
+++ b/lib/taskRunner.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import {EventEmitter} from 'events';
 import {defer, Promise} from 'q';
 import {inherits} from 'util';
 
-import ConfigParser, {Config} from './configParser';
+import {ConfigParser, Config} from './configParser';
 import * as Logger from './logger';
 import TaskLogger from './taskLogger';
 
diff --git a/lib/taskScheduler.ts b/lib/taskScheduler.ts
index 95965a15f..d25dec255 100644
--- a/lib/taskScheduler.ts
+++ b/lib/taskScheduler.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import ConfigParser, {Config} from './configParser';
+import {ConfigParser, Config} from './configParser';
 
 
 export interface Task {
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export default class TaskScheduler {
         ConfigParser
             .resolveFilePatterns(
                 ConfigParser.getSpecs(config), false, config.configDir)
-            .filter((path) => { return excludes.indexOf(path) < 0; });
+            .filter((path: string) => { return excludes.indexOf(path) < 0; });
 
     let taskQueues: Array<TaskQueue> = [];
     config.multiCapabilities.forEach((capabilities) => {
diff --git a/spec/unit/config_test.js b/spec/unit/configParser_test.js
similarity index 81%
rename from spec/unit/config_test.js
rename to spec/unit/configParser_test.js
index 23d488563..883c6cc7d 100644
--- a/spec/unit/config_test.js
+++ b/spec/unit/configParser_test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
-var ConfigParser = require('../../built/configParser').default;
+var ConfigParser = require('../../built/configParser').ConfigParser;
+var ConfigError = require('../../built/exitCodes').ConfigError;
 var path = require('path');
 
 describe('the config parser', function() {
+  it('should throw an error if the file is not found', function() {
+    var config = new ConfigParser();
+    try {
+      config.addFileConfig('foobar.js');
+    } catch (err) {
+      expect(err.code).toEqual(ConfigError.CODE);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('should throw an error if the file does not have export config', function() {
+    var config = new ConfigParser();
+    try {
+      config.addFileConfig(path.resolve('./spec/environment.js'));
+    } catch (err) {
+      expect(err.code).toEqual(ConfigError.CODE);
+    }
+  });
 
   it('should have a default config', function() {
     var config = new ConfigParser().getConfig();